Obesity is a serious and chronic disease that affects both children and adults worldwide. Obesity affects overall health, increases healthcare costs, decreases productivity, and increases your risk of having many other diseases. Obesity has been linked to developing Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, fatty liver disease, and certain types of cancers. There are many factors that contribute to excess weight gain including genetics, diet, eating and sleeping patterns, and physical activity levels. Some medications and disease states can also contribute to weight gain.
There are many factors that play a role in a person’s risk for overweight or obesity:
Diet/Eating Patterns: Food and drink intake plays a large part and is a focus of lifestyle changes when trying to combat overweight or obesity.
Being at a weight that is higher than what is considered healthy for a given height is described as overweight or obesity. In order to diagnose overweight or obesity, the Body Mass Index (BMI) screening tool is used. The BMI screening tool uses your weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters.
Below is a breakdown of the classifications:
It is important to note that BMI is a screening tool, and it does not diagnose body fatness or health. A trained healthcare provider should perform assessments to evaluate overall health and risks. If you are concerned about your BMI, talk with your health care provider for guidance.
The goal of any treatment related to obesity is to reach a healthy and maintainable weight for your body type. Experts recommend losing 5 to 10 percent of your body weight within the first 6 months of treatment. Being at a healthy weight doesn’t mean following a strict diet or program for the rest of your life. By incorporating lifestyle changes like healthy eating patterns, regular physical activity, and stress management, you are much more likely to maintain your goals. Medications that can be used with lifestyle changes are also available to help aide in weight loss for those people that fit certain criteria.
GLP-1- Glucagon-like peptide; SC-subcutaneous
Childhood obesity is a serious problem in the United States, putting children at risk for poor health as they age. As a parent or caregiver, you can do a lot to help your child reach and maintain healthy weight. It is important to teach children healthy habits that will affect their health into adulthood.
Choquet H, Meyre D. Genetics of obesity: what have we learned?external icon Curr Genomics. 2011;12:169-79.
https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/weight-management/helping-your-child-who-is-overweight#habits
https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/dqs/topics/overweight-obesity.html
https://www.cdc.gov/hop/php/about/index.html
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21881014/
Prediabetes is a health condition where blood sugar levels are higher than normal but not high enough to be diagnosed as type 2 diabetes. Prediabetes usually happens when the body is building resistance to insulin. Insulin is a hormone made by the pancreas, and its key role is to help cells absorb glucose (sugar). This resistance makes it hard for the cells to obtain glucose from your blood stream, causing blood sugar levels to increase. Too much glucose in your blood stream can cause damage to your organs over time and increase your risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.
Usually, patients with prediabetes may not experience symptoms and have their condition go undetected until their prediabetes progresses to type 2 diabetes. One possible sign of prediabetes is darkened skin in certain areas of the body including your neck, armpits, and groin. If you notice this, be sure to reach out to your healthcare provider for further evaluation.
While there aren’t many symptoms of prediabetes, there are risk factors that may increase your risk of being diagnosed:
This Prediabtes Risk Test can be used to help you evaluate your risk.
It is important to visit your doctor annually since most prediabetic patients do not experience any symptoms. Your primary care provider can diagnose by doing a simple blood test. Some of the common blood sugar level tests include fasting blood sugar test, glucose tolerance test, and A1C test.
There is good news! Although prediabetes is a serious health condition, with the proper lifestyle changes, you can delay or even prevent the progression to type 2 diabetes.
The primary goals of treating prediabetes include:
There are a few lifestyle changes that a person with prediabetes can make that can have a huge impact in improving their health:
After talking to your doctor, you may be prescribed a medication to help manage prediabetes. The most common medication is known as metformin, and you can read more about this treatment below.
Some common side effects of metformin include:
Usually, patients might experience when starting treatment and often will improve overtime. It is important to follow the direction what your doctor prescribed. Here are some ways to minimize the side effects:
Committing to a healthy lifestyle is the best way to avoid progression or reverse prediabetes. Here some of the examples:
https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/prevention-type-2/prediabetes-prevent-type-2.html
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/prediabetes/symptoms-causes/syc-20355278
https://diabetes.org/diabetes/prediabetes
https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/diabetes/about-diabetes/about-prediabetes
American Diabetes Association; Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes—2022 Abridged for Primary Care Providers. Clin Diabetes 1 January 2022; 40 (1): 10–38. Accessed Nov. 29, 2022
Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is the most common form of diabetes, and it means that your body doesn’t use insulin properly. Some people can control their blood glucose (blood sugar) levels with healthy eating and exercise while others may need medication to help manage their disease.
If you have type 2 diabetes, your body doesn’t respond normally to insulin, a hormone made by your pancreas that helps your cells use sugar as energy. Your pancreas senses that your cells aren’t responding to insulin so it keeps making more trying to get the cells to respond. Eventually, your pancreas can’t keep up and your blood sugar rises. High blood sugar is damaging to the body and can cause other serious problems such as heart disease, vision loss, kidney disease, high blood pressure, and many other conditions.
Symptoms of diabetes develop slowly over time and may be so mild that you don’t even notice them. Many people do not find out they have diabetes until they have a diabetes-related health problem such as blurry vision or heart disease. It is important to report any new symptoms to your doctor and keep all doctor appointments to increase your chances of an issue being caught early.
You can develop type 2 diabetes at any age even during childhood. There are certain risk factors that may increase your chance of being diagnosed. Many of these factors are modifiable and changes to your diet and lifestyle habits may help prevent or reverse a type 2 diabetes diagnosis.
Diagnosing diabetes can be done by simple test that can be completed at your doctor’s office. These tests should be carried out in a health care setting and usually need to be repeated on a second day to give a true diagnosis.
This blood test shows your average blood sugar level for the past 2 to 3 months. An A1C reading of 6.5% or higher on two separate tests means you have diabetes. Some conditions (such as pregnancy) may alter you A1C result, and your provider may use other diagnostic tests.
A blood sample will be taken after an 8 hour fast (when you don’t take in any food or sugary drinks). If your fasting blood sugar level is over 126 mg/dl on two separate tests, you may have a diabetes diagnosis.
This test is a two-hour test that checks your blood sugar levels before and two hours after you drink a special sweet drink. It tells the doctor how your body processes sugar.
The goal of any lifestyle changes or treatment for T2D is to be able to maintain a normal blood sugar level. You may be able to manage T2D with healthy eating and being active, or your doctor may prescribe oral or injectable medications to help manage your blood sugar and avoid complications of high blood sugar levels. While medications may help, it is very important to eat a healthy diet, increase physical activity, and manage stress to help reach your goals.
There are many different types of medications that help manage blood sugar levels for people with type 2 diabetes. The chart below highlights some of the more common medications that are prescribed. Your doctor will choose the best therapy or combination of therapies to help you manage your blood sugar.
By implementing lifestyle changes and altering daily habits, many people can delay or prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes. The longer you have diabetes, the more likely you are to develop health problems, so delaying diabetes by even a few years will benefit your overall health. By making lifestyle changes that are manageable long term, you can significantly reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Prediabetes Risk Test
National Diabetes Prevention Program
How to Check Your Blood Sugar
Find a Diabetes Education Program
https://diabetes.org/diabetes/type-1
https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/
Diabetes Prevention Program Research Group. Long-term effects of lifestyle intervention or metformin on diabetes development and microvascular complications over 15-year follow-up: the Diabetes Prevention Program Outcomes Study. The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology. 2015;3(11):866‒875
Type 1 diabetes (T1D), once known as juvenile diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes, is a chronic condition. If you have type 1 diabetes, your pancreas doesn’t make insulin or makes very little insulin. Insulin is required in your body to help sugar enter the cells to be used as energy. Without insulin, blood sugar builds up in the blood stream and leads to many of the symptoms and complications of diabetes. This disease state is less common than type 2 diabetes and usually develops in children and teens, but it can happen at any age.
Type 1 diabetes is considered an autoimmune disease where the body attacks its own cells in the pancreas, making it unable to produce insulin correctly. This attack can go on for months or years before any symptoms appear. Some people have a family history that makes them more likely to develop type 1 diabetes. However, not all people with a family history will go on to develop T1D. Diet and lifestyle habits do not cause this form of the disease.
There are many different symptoms of T1D that may show up over time. Be sure to see your doctor if you or your child have any of the following diabetes symptoms:
Type 1 diabetes is not caused by what you eat or your lifestyle habits. It is thought to be caused by an autoimmune reaction where the body attacks itself by mistake.
Diagnosing diabetes is done by simple test that can be completed at your doctor’s office. There are a few additional tests that may be completed in order to correctly diagnose type 1 diabetes.
Type 1 diabetes means that you will be prescribed insulin to help your body better use the sugar that is in your blood stream. The goal is to keep your blood sugar levels in an acceptable range so that you decrease your risk of damage from high blood sugar levels. You will need to test your blood sugar throughout the day and inject insulin accordingly.
Testing your blood sugar can be done manually with a finger stick and blood sugar monitor. Newer products can be worn on the body and monitor your blood sugar automatically.
Different amounts of insulin may be needed throughout the day depending on what you eat, your activity level, and your blood sugar readings. There are three terms to become familiar with as you start to manage your insulin: onset, peak, and duration.
See the chart below to start to learn some of the different types of insulin available. Be sure to ask your doctor or pharmacist any questions that you may have when it comes to insulin products.
It is common for people living with diabetes to have fluctuations in their blood sugar levels. It is important to have a plan in place in case you experience symptoms of low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) or high blood sugar (hyperglycemia). Talk with your doctor to ensure you and your family and friends know how to treat the symptoms of high or low blood sugar.
Be sure to keep quick sources of sugar on hand to treat hypoglycemia episodes, such as fruit juice; sugar tablets; corn syrup.
For a person with type 1 diabetes, hyperglycemia is best managed with a supplemental dose of insulin that is part of the person’s treatment plan.
Treatment Options
Find a Diabetes Education Program
https://diabetes.org/diabetes/type-1
https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/
Hyperlipidemia, otherwise known as high cholesterol, means that the cholesterol level in your blood is higher than the normal range. Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance that is made in your liver. Everyone needs cholesterol as it is required in order for your body to make hormones and digest fatty foods. However, your body produces all of the cholesterol that it needs to function, which is why experts recommend that people eat as little dietary cholesterol (cholesterol that is found in the foods we eat) as possible while on a healthy eating plan.
Cholesterol is measured in milligrams per deciliter (mg/dl) and can be measured by a health care professional via a blood test. This test (also called a lipid panel or lipid profile) will usually check the levels of cholesterol and triglycerides in your body.
High cholesterol is defined as having a total cholesterol level above 200mg/dl. Having high cholesterol can lead to many health problems over time. It is important to work with your healthcare team to manage high cholesterol and lessen your risk of severe health issues.
Hyperlipidemia has no symptoms, and there is no way to tell if you have it other than getting your cholesterol levels checked. There are risk factors that may increase your chance of developing high cholesterol. Some of these factors are out of your control, but others can be modified with lifestyle habits:
Diagnosing hyperlipidemia can only be done by getting your blood levels checked by your health care team. Talk to your doctor about how often you need to get your cholesterol levels checked.
The goal of any lifestyle changes or medication therapy used to treat high cholesterol is to maintain cholesterol levels that are within, or close to, normal range. There are many health conditions that are affected by high cholesterol levels. Working towards maintain healthy levels may reduce your risk for heart attack, stroke, and heart disease. Talk to your doctor about your treatment options. Some people are able to maintain healthy cholesterol levels with lifestyle changes alone while others may need to add in medication to reach their goals.
Many people need medication in order to help lower their cholesterol levels to a normal range. If you are prescribed a medication to help lower your cholesterol, be sure to take it as directed and report any side effects to your doctor.
Lifestlye Change: Physical Activity
Tips and Recipes for a Healthy Diet
Effects of Tobacco on the Body
https://www.cdc.gov/cholesterol
https://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity
Tsao CW, Aday AW, Almarzooq ZI, Beaton AZ, Bittencourt MS, Boehme AK, et al. Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics—2023 Update: A Report From the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2023;147:e93–e621.
Hypertension, or high blood pressure, affects tens of millions of adults across the United States. Many people do not know they have high blood pressure as this disease state usually doesn’t show any symptoms. Hypertension can increase your risk of heart disease and stroke, which are both leading causes of death for Americans.
Blood pressure is the pressure of blood pushing against the walls of your arteries. Your blood pressure can change throughout the day based on your activity level at the time. Having blood pressure readings that are consistently over the normal range may lead to a diagnosis of hypertension. Since hypertension usually shows no symptoms, it is important to see your doctor regularly so they can monitor your blood pressure over time and take action if needed.
There are many risk factors that can increase your chances of being diagnosed with high blood pressure. Many of these factors are things that you can control, while others, like your age or family history, cannot be controlled.
Your blood pressure consists of two numbers: the ‘top’ (systolic) number and the ‘bottom’ number (diastolic). Your systolic pressure is a measure of the pressure in your arteries when your heart beats. The diastolic pressure is a measure of the pressure in your arteries when your heart rests between beats.
For most adults, a normal blood pressure is less than 120/80 mm Hg. Your blood pressure is considered high when you have consistent systolic readings of 130 mmHg or higher or diastolic readings of 80 mmHg or higher. Talk to your healthcare provider if your blood pressure readings are consistently higher than 120/80.
Certain medications or disease states may increase or decrease your blood pressure. Talk to your doctor about what your personal blood pressure goal is.
Treatment Goals
Managing high blood pressure may require a combination of lifestyle changes and medication. Your doctor can help you develop a plan to reach your treatment goal.
See below for a list of some of the common types of blood pressure medications. This list is not all-inclusive and is meant to be used for informational purposes only. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist for more information on medications used to help lower blood pressure.
Your doctor will take your blood pressure at every appointment, and you may be asked to monitor your blood pressure by taking your own measurements at home. There are a few points to keep in mind when taking your blood pressure to help you get a more accurate measurement.
Test Your Sodium Knowledge
How to Measure Your Blood Pressure
https://www.cdc.gov/bloodpressure/index.htm
National High Blood Pressure Education Program. The Seventh Report of the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure [PDF – 223K]. Bethesda, MD: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; 2003.
https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/high-blood-pressure/diagnosis
Did you know that it takes an average of 10-15 years to develop a new brand-name drug? The process includes discovery and development, preclinical research, clinical trials, review by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and drug safety monitoring. Each step of this process costs money sometimes adding up into the billions of dollars before a drug can even be marketed to the public!
Generic drugs are ‘copies’ of an original brand-name drug. These products go through extensive testing and FDA review before they can be available to the public. The company making the generic product must prove that their drug provides the same clinical benefit and is as safe and effective as the brand-name medicine it duplicates.
In order for a generic medication to be approved, the manufacturer must submit an application to the FDA that shows the generic is:
There are allowable differences in the generic product when compared to the brand-name product. The generic may differ in:
None of these differences impact how the medication works in the body.
One main benefit of a generic drug is that it costs less than its brand-name counterpart. Generic manufacturers do not have to repeat costly animal and human (clinical) studies that were completed for the brand-name product. This can significantly lower the overall cost of developing a generic medication.
Multiple generic manufacturers can produce a generic medication for the same brand-name drug. When this happens, the price for the generic goes down even more.
https://www.fda.gov/drugs/generic-drugs/generic-drug-facts
https://www.fda.gov/drugs/abbreviated-new-drug-application-anda/generic-drug-review-dashboard-report
https://www.fda.gov/patients/learn-about-drug-and-device-approvals/drug-development-process
Dementia is a general term for loss of memory, language, problem-solving, and other thinking abilities that are severe enough to interfere with daily life. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia, accounting for 60-80% of dementia cases. It is progressive, beginning with mild memory loss, leading to the loss of ability to respond to the environment.
Dementia is caused by damage to brain cells that interferes with the ability of those cells to communicate with each other correctly. Scientists are working to determine the true cause of Alzheimer’s disease. They know that high levels of certain proteins inside and outside brain cells affect the way those cells talk to each other. Clinical trials are underway that focus on lowering these proteins in an effort to slow the progression of the disease.
Alzheimer’s disease is not a normal part of aging. Researchers believe there isn’t one cause, but that it likely develops from multiple factors, including genetics, lifestyle, and environment.
The most prominent symptom is difficulty with memory. In addition to memory issues, people with Alzheimer’s disease may experience one or more of the following additional symptoms:
There are risk factors that play a part when determining if a person has Alzheimer’s:
There is not one specific test to determine if someone has Alzheimer’s disease. Doctors diagnose Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia based on the patient’s medical history, lab tests, and memory function evaluations. To get a more accurate diagnosis, a person may need to get images of their brain (MRI, CT, PET scan) or a test done on their cerebrospinal fluid, the fluid that cushions the brain.
It is important to contact a doctor if you suspect that you or a loved one is showing signs of dementia. Your provider can help determine if the symptoms are related to dementia or something else, like a vitamin deficiency or a side effect from a medication. Early intervention can also open the door to more opportunity for you and your family to consider future plans, enroll in clinical trials, and anticipate financial needs.
The main treatment goal for a person with Alzheimer’s disease is to improve their quality of life. There is currently no known cure for this disease. However, interventions are available that can help with maintaining brain health, managing symptoms, and slowing or delaying progression of the disease.
There are different types of medications approved for Alzheimer’s disease. Your doctor will work with you to decide if treatment would be beneficial and what type of medication would be the best therapy for you.
Examples: Aricept (donepezil), Exelon (rivastigmine), Razadyne (galantamine).
These medications are approved for the symptomatic management of mild to severe disease. Patients may see small improvements in cognition and activities of daily living with these medications. However, these drugs do not prevent or delay progression of the disease.
Common Side Effects:
Examples: Namenda (memantine).
These medications are approved for the symptomatic management of moderate to severe Alzheimer’s disease and can be used in combination with cholinesterase inhibitors. These drugs do not prevent or delay the progression of the disease.
Common Side Effects:
Examples: Leqembi (lecanemab).
This class of drug is approved to help treat people with Alzheimer’s disease with mild cognitive impairment or mild dementia. This is the only class to have shown evidence of reducing clinical decline.
Common Side Effects:
https://www.cdc.gov/alzheimers-dementia/
https://www.cdc.gov/alzheimers-dementia/signs-symptoms/alzheimers.html
https://www.alz.org/help-support
https://www.alz.org/events/event_search
A woman’s body and mind go through many changes during and after pregnancy. It is normal to experience a wide range of feelings while you are pregnant and even in the few weeks after having a baby. The time after giving birth is called the postpartum period. Many women get what is known as the “baby blues” during this time. They feel sad, worried, or extremely tired in the days after giving birth. This feeling usually goes away after a few days.
If you feel sad, hopeless, anxious, or like you don’t love or care for your baby and these feelings last longer than two weeks, you may have postpartum depression. There are treatments, such as therapy and medicine, that can help you and your baby have a happy and healthy future.
Postpartum depression (PPD) can be treated, and the faster that you get the help that you need, the faster you can be on the road to feeling better. If you are having any of these symptoms for more than two weeks, you may need to get help. The right treatment can help with mild to severe symptoms and can lead to a recovery over time.
While the warning signs are different for every woman, some of the symptoms may include the following:
Postpartum depression can happen to any woman. However, there are some factors that may put a woman at more of a risk of having postpartum depression. Examples2 include the following:
Being open and honest about your feelings with your doctor can help you get the help you need during this time.
While many women have the baby blues after childbirth, those symptoms usually go away within the 10 days after delivery.3 The baby blues may include the following:
Symptoms of postpartum depression last longer, are more severe, and may require treatment by a healthcare professional. Your doctor can diagnose and develop a plan for treatment that works best for you.
There are many kinds of treatment that can be used to help you feel better. These methods can be used alone or together. Your healthcare provider can help develop a plan that works best for you.
While many antidepressants are prescribed to help with postpartum depression, there are some medicines that are approved just for this illness. Some examples include the following:
Mental health parity means that we must treat mental health or substance use disorder (SUD) conditions the same, or better than, similar medical or surgical conditions. We will not charge you more money or limit your coverage just because a drug is used to treat a mental health or SUD condition. This is sometimes called providing mental health/SUD benefits in parity with medical/surgical benefits. Maxor follows all mental health parity laws.
The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) is a law passed by the federal government in 2008. This law has expanded over the years to cover more people. There are also state laws protecting mental health parity. The laws say we cannot treat a mental health or substance use disorder (SUD) worse than similar medical conditions. This includes not charging you more money or limiting your coverage. The law does not require us to cover all mental health/SUD drugs though.
Most large group plans and individual plans must follow mental health parity laws. Other plans may not have to follow these laws. Mental health parity laws are complex, so it is best to check if you are unsure. You can ask your health plan, insurance agent, plan administrator, or your human resources team.
There are many mental health and substance use disorder (SUD) benefits that should be treated equally. This includes things like financial and frequency limits. For example, your co-pays and deductibles cannot be more because you are receiving treatment for a mental health condition.
Yes. Maxor follows all mental health parity laws.
CMS Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA)
DOL Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Parity
